New Life, New Dreams
by KH Love Always
Summary: Namine begins a new chapter of her life with her first year of college. Throw in new friends, stunning surprises, overwhelming work, first crushes, and more, and Namine's freshman year might just turn out for the unexpected in more ways than one...
1. Chapter 1: Moving In

**Hey everyone~~**

**It's been nearly a year since I wrote, and I have another summer to do so! Here we go with another one of my random thoughts turned into a tale... "New Life, New Dreams" Enjoy, and please review! Comments will be much appreciated :D**

**xoxo KH Love Always**

**P.S. Some of the events in this story are based off of experiences from my friend. Please respect them. And I do not own any of the Kingdom Hearts game series or the Final Fantasy series.**

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><p><strong>*~* New Life, New Dreams *~*<strong>

Namine entered the gates of the freshman quad at Radiant Garden University, and an unsettling feeling lay at the core of her heart. She looked around nervously; freshmen and their parents were moving suitcases, refrigerators, and boxes under the blazing heat towards the dormitories, with upper-classmen in red and white t-shirts guiding them towards their rooms. The heat was unbelievable, especially in a city known for its breezy daytimes. Namine wiped the sweat off of her forehead, and briskly walked towards her dormitory building.

"Namine!" her mother exclaimed. "Wait for us!"

Namine turned around and smiled. "You know I won't leave you behind, right Ma?"

"Of course." Right then, Namine's father caught up to them, and placed two cubic boxes on the ground in front of him. He gazed up at the marble columns and balcony of the dormitory, where on the marble slab that constituted the balcony were carved the words "Strife Hall."

"So this is it? I can't believe it... Wow."

"It's so beautiful, right Dad?" Namine asked as she glanced at her father.

"Not just that, hon. My little girl's leaving me for a wider world," her father said as he gave a proud smile to Namine.

Namine ran a few steps towards her father and hugged him. "Thanks so much, Dad..."

"It's not bye yet, sweetie. That time will definitely come. Let's go get your things organized," her mother kindly said as she lifted one of Namine's suitcases and entered the building.

After another hour or so, all of Namine's belongings were put in their right place in the trapezoid-shaped room. Lucky enough to get a single, Namine took advantage of the future privacy she would have among her peers. Her twin bed had clean white sheets and pillows embroidered with white palm trees, all stitched by her own hand. A small bonsai tree graced the window sill, and caught the incoming rays of sunlight perfectly in all its minute glory. The drab brown curtains were replaced with sheer white linen curtains, adding extra brightness to the room. Three black, vertical mirrors were aligned on top of the two-tiered bookcase on the adjacent wall, creating an illusion that the room is bigger than it is. Namine's clothes and winter-wear were neatly tucked into the provided bureau, and toiletries occupied the lower tier of the bookcase while books filled the other. On top of the desk, which faced the window and the front of the dormitory, laid a seventeen-inch HP laptop and a small pencil cup filled with various assortments of pens and pencils from the nearby Asian supermarket. Her backpack laid by the side of the desk, already prepared for the first day of college classes with notebooks, her Hello Kitty pencil case, and folders for each class. Lastly, Namine's beloved painting easel, stand, and stool, along with all her paints and brushes, were arranged in a compact fashion next to her desk. Namine patted her hands and smiled at the joint accomplishment of her family at organizing her future home.

"Everything's done! Ahh..."

Namine's father grinned, and her mother tried not to shed tears. However, Namine caught the change in expression, despite the glimmering smile she gave. "Mom..."

"Oh, honey, I didn't think this moment would have to come so fast..." her mother stopped to take a deep breath, as she wiped her tears. Namine rushed to hug her.

"Mom, don't worry about me. You know I can take care of myself! I'm finally legal. It's time for me to grow older."

"But you know you'll always be my baby, no matter how much older you get. You'll get the most out of this wonderful place, right?"

"Of course, Ma! I know..."

Namine's mother patted her head as Namine let go and went to give a hug to her father. He laughed heartily as he squeezed the life out of Namine. "Dad..."

"Sorry, kid, but I had to give you a big one. You know your Mom and I are so proud of you."

Namine smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

"You won't hear that from me every day though, kiddo. You'll be good?"

Namine laughed. "Yup!"

"And it means no dating. Nada."

Namine looked wide eyed at her father in perplexed confusion. "You're kidding, right?"

"Hon," Namine's mother started. "Namine's fine. She knows what she's doing, right?" she asked as she turned her attention to Namine.

"Of course, Mom and Dad. I'll be careful. For sure."

Her father sighed. "Alright, then. My little girl's growin' up! Life will be complicated from here on. Just take everything as it comes, yeah?"

"I know, Dad," Namine grinned. "Don't worry! I'll be fine here. Trust me!" she exclaimed as she sent another dazzling smile at her parents.

"Just know that if you need to talk about anything at all, don't hesitate to call home, 'kay hon?" her mother asked.

"Drilled in, Mom. It's all good."

"Time to go, then?" Namine's father asked her mother.

"Let's go... Take care, Nam,"said her mother.

"Thanks, Ma, Dad... I'll walk down with you," and Namine walked her parents back to their car before bidding them another nearly tearful goodbye.

Namine walked back towards Strife Hall, as giddy as she is excited, and glided (nearly) into her room. After hearing her residential advisors call for a floor meeting, she closed the door to her room and walked into the common room, anticipating a memorable and rewarding freshman year.

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><p><strong>This is a little short, since it's more of an introduction. I promise future chapters will be longer! Hope it was a good read for you! I also promise you that you'll see very familiar characters soon. See you soon!<strong>

**xoxo KH Love Always**


	2. Chapter 2: Caught Eyes

**Hey everyone! Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter... I know it may seem boring, like "Where is this going?" But, I can guarantee you that it'll be more interesting as the chapters go on! Please be patient with me... **

**Here's the second chapter. As I think of the upcoming chapters for this story, some parts may seem disjointed from each other, but it'll all make sense~~! I promise :D**

**Lastly, some things in this chapter (and maybe in future ones) are described so that you can imagine as you please. Hope you like it!**

**xoxo KH Love Always (and same disclaimers as before)**

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><p><strong>*~* New Life, New Dreams *~*<strong>

Later that evening, Namine walked along with some of her floormates to dinner at Midgar Center, the student center for the entire university. As she entered, she marveled at the contemporary architecture of the building; wooden circular columns were surrounded by horizontal cubic wooden borders, and glass panels with flyers depicting future events and activities lined the ramps leading to the Lockhart Gathering Atrium and the Seventh Heaven Dining Hall. The ceiling was almost completely made of thick glass, which let sunlight filter into the building and allowed students to marvel at the clear blue skies above. Many groups of freshmen gathered for dinner in this large center, and Namine became more and more excited as she walked past the large, wooden doors.

"Getting distracted are we, Namine?" Tidus, a floormate of hers, and one of the freshmen players of the Radiant Garden Blitzball Team, asked as they walked to the dinner line slowly growing from the dining hall.

"It's so pretty though, don't you think so?"

"Eh, it's kind of like where I'm from. Have you been there before?"

Namine tilted her head at him. "Zanarkand? No, I haven't."

Tidus looked at her in surprise. "Serious? You need to go. I can give you a self-famous tour!" Tidus grinned as he pointed his thumb at himself.

"Oh, Tidus, you sure are something," Namine laughed. Both her and Tidus turned to the front, and patiently waited to enter the dining hall.

Just then, she heard something familiar: the language of Destiny Islands. Her parents coming from Destiny Islands, Namine was raised with the melodic tongue, and managed to stay fluent in speech despite losing most of her ability to read and write the language. As her ears perked up, she noticed a boy and a girl walk from around adjoining ramp and next to the line. Namine glanced and couldn't help but gaze at both the boy and girl, especially _him_.

The girl, slender and rather tall, wore a simple yellow dress, had light brown hair that curled up at the ends and sparkling green eyes, and walked with a slight skip during every step. She talked to the boy behind her in a voice that shined in happiness, one that Namine would never forget and that elated her. The boy behind her, however, was a different story.

_He_ held a rather serious countenance as he conversed with the girl, and gave a slight smirk at whatever the girl was expressing. He was about half a head taller than the girl, and his long, silver hair flowed a little behind him as he took individual, confident steps. Wearing a yellow and white vest with a blank muscle tank underneath, his hands were shoved in the vest pockets, and his jean capris were slightly long, even for his height. However, these details weren't what caught Namine's attention.

As she gazed at him, he turned his own gaze from the back of the girl's head to link eyes with Namine. _Everything changed_. Her breath hitched, and her own body froze as Namine was completely entranced from his glance. His light, aquamarine eyes bored into her own gray-blue ones; it was like he saw straight into her. His pale skin caught the glisten of the sun rays bouncing off the glass panels, and to Namine, it seemed he shined on the spot.

But before long, it could not have been more than two seconds, he broke the visual link and continued to walk and converse with the girl in the native tongue of Destiny Islands. After looking behind her to watch them leave, Namine turned around, shook her head, and continued to walk towards the dining hall. She must have lost herself in her own thoughts, for Tidus had to poke her to catch her attention.

"Hey, you alright?"

Namine rubbed her head as she smiled tentatively at Tidus. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Tidus looked at her questioningly. "Sure? You seem really out of it."

Namine shook her head lightly as she looked at the ground. "Don't worry. There's nothing."

"You know, if you need anyone to talk to, I'm always here to listen."

Namine glanced up at Tidus as she crinkled her eyes and gave a heartwarming smile to him. "Thanks," she replied.

Tidus waved it off and grinned. "It's nothing! That's what friends are for, yeah?"

Namine nodded as she looked in front of her; they were nearly in. "Yeah. Friends..."

Tidus patted her back. "I got your back. You're good."

After grabbing their food, as Namine sat at a long rectangular table with the rest of her floormates, she glanced at Tidus, and watched as he joked and aroused laughter from the entire table. '_I have a friend now_,' she thought. '_Who knew?_' She smiled to herself as she turned back to her food and continued to eat.

Soon enough, however, her thoughts turned to the mysterious, silver-haired boy from her native island. '_He's actually pale... unlike other Islanders,_' she contemplated. Namine couldn't help but think of their similarity, and wondered for much of the rest of dinner when she will see him again.

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><p><strong>Here it is... you all have an idea of who these two are, right? I hope you do :D They'll be pretty important people in the story. There's more to come, and much to try and link together... for me at least :).<strong>

**Hope you had a good time with this! More will come soon :D**

**xoxo KH Love Always**


	3. Chapter 3: First Class

**I'm back! I'm updating rather quickly since it's the summer and, aside from my summer job, I have reasonable free time here and there to write stories when I can. Once school starts I'll have to stop writing... But yup, I'm back again.**

**I hope the last chapter provided some more info to you with where the story might be going. There will be plenty of things that happen (remember, this story is largely based on real experiences of my friend, who, I promise, allowed me to write this story)! I just want to tell readers like you something ahead of time: this story will not contain the traditional pairings that one would expect from regular storylines under Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. This story is generally about the many aspects of Namine's life in her first year of college.**

**Also, this is not a romance story, despite the genre I have listed it under. Actually, I don't think any of the genres listed can completely encapsulate this story as a whole... but I chose romance and hurt/comfort because those genres describe some of the more important events that will come in this story. You might even have an inkling of it already ^_^**

**Alright, I'll end here... I know you want to get to the story . Here it is :D**

**xoxo KH Love Always**

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><p><strong>*~* New Life, New Dreams *~*<strong>

Rain poured in torrents from the dark gray skies that covered the entire city, and strong gusts of wind blew rain in every direction, making umbrellas practically useless. Namine, who wore a flimsy light-blue rain jacket that barely helped with the rain, was already running late for her first class of the morning, and she had only three minutes left to cover a ten minute walking distance under a normal day. Namine adjusted her backpack on her shoulders, and after letting out a frustrated groan, ran as fast as a person could in oversized rain boots and in the hurricane-like environment. It seemed that the weather did not want to help her out. Not a bit.

As Namine rushed under the dreadful circumstances, at least one thing lifted her current mood a little: class. She knew that Painting II, her first class of the day, will be her favorite out of the four classes she chose. As an aspiring and rather overachieving art major, Namine wanted to jump ahead; after spending a summer drawing and painting so much that her parents had to bring her to the local art store more times than they could count, Namine passed the introductory examination with full marks, which allowed her to skip all the introductory art classes. Out of all the more advanced painting classes available during the fall semester, Painting II, in addition to teaching the history of various forms of painting, was the only one created specifically for art students to enhance their already skillful technique with the brush, no matter what kind of painting. Though Namine probably would not need the class as much as other students would, she was nevertheless excited to attend.

However, no matter how much she looked forward to this class, Namine did have her worries. Seeing as it was only the first day of classes, Namine hoped that her professor would give her some leeway for her very probable tardiness, and worried that she would give the wrong impression. But this was the least of her concerns. Namine, like any other freshman in the beginning of the year, was so nervous about how both her academic and social life will turn out that she didn't even know what she should worry about more.

Nevertheless, she didn't have much time to think through these worries. Before she knew it, Namine arrived at the classroom, late by three minutes. The door was already closed, and though Namine's heart pounded out of both physical exhaustion and nervousness, she opened the door slowly and quietly. The hinges squeaked, and Namine just barely caught herself from cursing out loud when she locked eyes with a beautiful young woman in a long pink dress who stood in the center of the circle of students and stools. Namine looked apologetically at her professor before suddenly bowing and exclaiming:

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Professor Gainsborough! I promise it won't happen again!"

Professor Gainsborough released a soft laugh before responding, "Don't worry about it! Class only just started. You're in just in time! You must be Namine, am I right?"

Namine could only nod as she shifted nervously from all the eyes staring at her.

"Well, come right on in! Why don't you take a seat right by Kairi?" Professor Gainsborough asked as Kairi waved her hand and smiled at Namine. Namine shuffled to her designated seat, and as she sat down, Professor Gainsborough handed her two small packets.

"The first packet describes the course curriculum, my expectations of you as a student in this class, and the general materials you will need to obtain. I expect that you already have the books, right? Good. The second is a short questionnaire that I will need you to fill out by the next class. Don't worry, it's nothing huge. I just want to know more of what you prefer when it comes to painting, and what kind of painting you would like to concentrate on, maybe even for your major. If you have any questions after class, don't hesitate to ask me," Professor Gainsborough explained with a smile as Namine quickly glanced over the packets.

Professor Gainsborough turned her attention to the class. "Class, today I'll let you all paint something of your own choice, and you'll have the rest of class to do so. Please turn it in to me when you are done, or when class is over. You do not need to finish. However, I do expect that you put in your best effort into the work you're creating today. I need it to be a representation of where you are right now. I know many of you don't have your materials yet, so just use the materials here in this studio for now. If you do not find any materials specific to your kind, please come talk to me, and we can work something out for today. Alright, get to work!"

As she opened her externally drenched bag, Namine sighed in happiness; her brushes, sketchbook, pencils, and folders for her other classes remained dry as ever. She quickly pulled out her assortment of Chinese sheep-hair and wolf-hair brushes, opened a bottle of self-made black ink, and laid out a large piece of bamboo parchment on top of the workbench before setting her elbows on the edge and looking up at the ceiling. However, before any inspiration came to her, she felt eyes gazing at her. Turning her head, she saw Kairi marvel at all of Namine's art tools.

"Wow... all your things look so legit..." Kairi murmured. Namine blushed in shyness as she turned her gaze back to her things. However, Kairi's cheerful voice interrupted her second-long daze as Kairi held her hand out:

"I'm Kairi! Nice to meet you!"

Namine returned the smile and shook Kairi's hand. "Nice to meet you too. I'm Namine."

Kairi grinned. "Where are you from?"

"Radiant Garden."

"Ah, so it's your home turf, isn't it?"

Namine shrugged. "I guess you could say that..."

Kairi threw a huge smile her way. "I wish I could say that for myself! I was born and raised most of my life here, but I spent middle and high school over at Destiny Islands... so I don't know if I can call myself an Islander or a Radiant Garden kid," she laughed softly.

Namine smiled back. "I'd say it's your home turf too then! Do you know the Island language?"

Kairi shook her head. "I can understand it, but trying to learn how to read and write it hasn't worked out so well. I went to an international school there, so it was all in English. But anyway, the native Island tongue is so... unique! And complicated too, I gotta say."

"True," Namine nodded. "Are you a freshman?"

Kairi nodded. "Yeah, I am! You too?"

"Yup! Where do you live in the quad then?"

"I life in Strife. You?"

"Same here!" Namine exclaimed. "What floor?"

"Second?"

"Sweet, I'm on the fourth."

Kairi smiled. "Nice! We could hang out!"

"Definitely!" The two girls laughed, but when Professor Gainsborough gave them the quiet signal, despite her smile, the two stopped their excited chatter and got back to work, but not before giggling at each other.

A little after the start of their silence, Namine still didn't know what to paint, and she glanced over at Kairi working diligently at her oil painting. Feeling her gaze, Kairi turned and shot Namine a bubbly smile before returning to her work. Namine couldn't help but become elated at Kairi's openly expressive and friendly demeanor, and immediately knew what she wanted to create. Afterwards, when class was over and students slowly filed out of the studio, Namine and Kairi walked out to grab lunch together, chatting animatedly about their previous lives before college, and anything else that a new and strong friendship budding in the midst of university life would contain.

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><p><strong>That's it for this chapter! It's a little long, but mostly because of dialogue. Well, now you get another great person in Namine's life! More are coming up, along with more events :D Hope you liked it! Again, any commentreview regarding the content, or my writing, is much appreciated. Thanks so much!**

**xoxo KH Love Always**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! In this chapter, you'll meet many of the characters who will play important roles in this year of Namine's life. They are important not only that they'll be Namine's friends, but also in that they're essential to her life as it unravels. Just a warning, some of the places from which these characters are from are changed from what they are in the games... please don't hate me for it! I'm making these changes 1) for geographical reasons based on those in my friend's life, and 2) many characters here were originally from Destiny Islands or Twilight Town, etc., but the people they mean to be in my friend's life are not all from one country or one city.**

**Nevertheless, I'm also making a few close-friend changes (for example, Aqua is not closest to Ven and Terra in this story), and there will be personality changes too. This may be too much, especially since this is my first long story, but I want to stay as close to my friend's story as possible.**

**Anyway, hope you like it, as normal as the chapter will be! Trust me, it will be important, in many ways :D And please review when you can ^_^ any comment will be helpful, as long as you do not bash the plot of the story. Thank you!**

**xoxo KH Love Always **

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><p>The Monday after the first week of school, Namine and Kairi walked from Strife to Midgar Center, where the meeting for the Islander Student Organization was being held. As they entered through the side door, both girls spotted, on the first door to the left in the narrow corridor leading to the atrium, a poster for the organization, decorated with hand-drawn cartoon palm trees, beaches, blue skies and ocean. After nervously looking at each other, Kairi opened the door to the meeting room, and were greeted by a few upperclassmen who were sitting around the large round table.<p>

"Hello! Are you both freshmen?" asked the green-eyed optimistic girl Namine saw last week.

Namine and Kairi nodded meekly. "Yes."

"Take a seat! You guys are the first freshmen here, and we still have a few minutes left. What are your names?"

"I'm Kairi!" Kairi waved and grinned.

"Hello, I'm Namine. Nice to meet you!" Namine said while smiling shyly.

"I'm Selphie, one of the co-presidents of the club. Welcome! The others will be here soon, so you can relax now!"

A few minutes later, more freshmen and upperclassmen walked into the room, freshmen looking nervous and fidgety while the upperclassmen greeted each other with hugs and laughs. To Kairi's benefit, everyone spoke in English, though the Islander accent, no matter how small, was evident among those who were natives. Once everyone was seated and the clock's arm hit the twelve, Selphie and another girl started the meeting.

"Hello everyone! Welcome to the Islander Student Organization! For those of you who are freshmen... wow there are a lot of you... welcome for the first time, and get excited to join one of the closest 'families' on campus! For those who have come back, welcome again, and hope you have another awesome year ahead. Today will be a short meeting since it's all about introducing everybody and welcoming the freshmen! Board members, when you introduce yourselves, please include your position. I'll start: I'm Selphie, and I'm a sophomore. I'm from Destiny Islands, and I'm one of your co-presidents for this year," Selphie started.

"Hey guys! I'm Yuna, and I'm your other co-president. I'm also a sophomore, and I'm from Besaid," the other co-president, a tall, lean girl with short layered light-brown hair with a green eye and a blue eye, introduced with a kind smile.

"I'm Aqua, treasurer for the Islander Student Organization, and I'm a sophomore from Twilight Town," a blue-haired, blue eyed girl said with serious earnestness.

"Hey everyone! I'm Sora, sophomore from Traverse Town. I don't have any position on the board, other than I love this family, and hope you do too!" a carefree, athletic boy with spiky chocolate hair and sparkling sapphire eyes grinned as he put his hands behind his head and leaned back so that his chair tilted on its two hind legs.

The next boy who introduced himself looked like Sora but with spiky blond hair swept up one way instead of all over. "I'm Roxas, a junior double major in math and psychology. I'm from Destiny Islands, and I'm the social chair," he said with a single wave of the hand.

"Heya! Rikku here, from Luca. I'm a senior psychology major, and I'm the artistic representative. I hope to know you all soon!" a bubbly girl with blond hair braided in multiple braids of different sizes, all collected in a large ponytail, exclaimed as she waved excitedly at the entire group.

"I'm Paine, from Luca as well. I'm a senior chemistry and Islander language major, and I'm the public representative of the organization," a gothic girl with short, metallic silver hair and blood red eyes said with a neutral countenance.

It was then the freshmen's turn to introduce themselves. A hip-looking boy with slicked-back dirty blond hair started first. "I'm Hayner, freshman from Destiny Islands. I'm not sure if I want to major in economics or political science. Nice to meet you."

"Hello. I'm Xion," the girl to Namine's right started. "I'm a freshman, and I'm from Twilight Town. I'm still undecided. Nice to meet you all!" she waved and smiled.

It was now Namine's turn. "I'm Namine, freshman from Radiant Garden, and I most probably want to major in art."

"I'm Kairi, originally from Radiant Garden, and studied in Destiny Islands for middle and high school. I'm a freshman, and I'll probably be a biology major, unless that changes... anyway, hello!" Kairi exclaimed as she grinned and waved to everyone.

A tall and lanky male with sharp green eyes, triangle tattoos under them, and fire-red long spiky hair smirked before introducing himself. "I'm Axel, freshman from Radiant Garden. Math major, for sure."

More freshmen introduced themselves, and soon enough, the entire room of more than twenty individuals finished introductions. Selphie and Yuna continued on to goals of the organization.

"As the Islander Student Organization, it is our role on campus to spread the knowledge of the culture, language, and traditions and customs of Destiny Islands. Even if a few of you are not all from Destiny Islanders, or descendants of Islanders, as part of the club, we are not only a family, but an educational source to the university and the surrounding community," Yuna began. "Each year, we hold several events for the entire university to attend, some of which are Islands festivals, and others of which are mimics of Destiny Islands customs and culture. Immense planning and volunteering goes into these events, and the ideas and suggestions of any member are welcome, so please come to meetings!"

"This is the largest the club has ever been, which is an amazing turnout, especially for you guys, freshmen!" Selphie exclaimed. "We are one of the most active organizations on campus, which makes it important that you all participate as much as you can. Of course, we won't force you, but participation is greatly appreciated for the success of our club," Selphie explained.

"Lastly, ISO aims to be a close family, or community, for those who join. If any have issues, or concerns of any kind, especially you, freshmen, since you just entered university life, please ask one of the upperclassmen. We're all here to welcome, guide, and help you," Yuna continued.

"In order to integrate this idea into the club, last year we created a 'Big Sib, Little Sib' program for the organization. Basically, each upperclassman is a 'big sib' to one or two freshmen, and the big sib is basically someone to turn to whenever the freshmen have questions of any kind. Of course, you can ask upperclassmen outside of your big sib! It's not set in stone, but the big sib is meant to be a friend to turn to, to hang out, to eat dinner, anything really!" Selphie exclaimed with a wide grin.

"For freshmen who want to participate, please answer the following questions," Yuna said as she passed out little slips of paper to the freshmen who accepted them. "Afterwards, please give them to Roxas, and he'll quickly match each of you up with an upperclassman in the organization."

Namine read over the questions: name, interests, where you are from, activities, preference for gender of big sib. After answering them and turning the paper in to Roxas, Namine chatted with Kairi and Xion.

"You're from Twilight Town? That's amazing..." Kairi awed at Xion.

"Thanks! But personally, I like Radiant Garden a lot more. It's pretty much why I came here," replied Xion.

"How come you like here so much?" Namine asked.

Xion thought for a few seconds before answering. "Hm... the bustle of the city really excites me. Twilight is nowhere near as exciting as people thing. Plus, it's dark and creepy in the various alleyways of the town, especially when nearing night. It's scary, to be honest. Radiant Garden, just like its name, is sunshine all over! The streets are clean, everything is orderly, and the people are nice! I've only been here for less than a month, but I can say that it exceeds my expectations of city etiquette."

Namine and Kairi nodded. "Yup, that pretty much sums it up," Kairi said.

"But Twilight Town can't be as bad as you say, is it? Like the clock tower! It's gorgeous. We don't have that here..." Namine asked.

"Ah! I don't mean that Twilight's horrible... I love it. It's my home. But at the same time, its flaws are rather evident. I've wanted to live away from these city problems for a while, and coming here is my chance to do so," Xion explained with a smile.

"Well, I'm glad you like it so much here," Namine grinned.

Soon enough, Selphie and Yuna quieted down the excited chatter among the students in the meeting room. "Now," Selphie started, "we have our pairings! Here we go. Xion, you'll be paired with me. Kairi, you're paired with Yuna. Namine will be with Aqua..."

Selphie continued to list each pairing as Namine turned her gaze to the reserved blue-haired sophomore sitting across the round table from her. Aqua glanced at Namine before smiling and waving, Namine returning the gesture.

"And that's it for the Big Sib, Little Sib groups! Meeting's over, and it's time for dinner! Don't forget, we're meeting again at the same time next week right here!" Yuna exclaimed.

Freshmen and upperclassmen started filing out of the room one by one as most rushed to enter the dining hall before the line became too long. Namine was about to leave with Kairi and Xion when Aqua, Selphie, and Yuna came up to them, with Sora tagging along behind them.

"You are Namine, Kairi, and Xion, right?" Aqua asked. The three freshmen girls nodded.

"Great! We're so happy to be big sibs this year! Hope you are too!" Selphie exclaimed before winking at them.

"We were just wondering, as our little sibs, do you want to eat out with us today? It's on us," Yuna asked.

Namine, Kairi, and Xion all smiled at each other before responding. "Sure! We don't have anything afterwards anyway..."

"Great! There's a new restaurant down on Key Street. Should we try it out?" Selphie asked.

"Let's go then! Oh, and by the way, Sora will be joining us. That okay?" Aqua asked.

Namine, Kairi, and Xion nodded. "Yup!"

"Oh yeah, do you not have a little sib, Sora?" Selphie asked.

Sora shrugged before putting his hands behind his head. "Yeah, I didn't really want to do it this year. I have too many classes to take care of... not that I don't want to know freshmen or anything! It's just that I'm already crazy and it's the second week..."

"What are your classes?" Namine asked him as the group walked out of the meeting room and made their way towards Key Street.

"Organic Chemistry Intermediate Level, Physics, Neuroscience, and Don Quixote, Spanish," Sora counted off.

"Whoa... that's... three lab classes and a Spanish class that's like a normal English class?" Kairi wondered.

Sora chuckled. "That's basically it."

"That's crazy..." Xion murmured. "Why are you doing that?"

Sora grinned. "I'm a pre-med student, and I might major in Spanish!"

Selphie sighed. "But you always kill yourself doing all this stuff..."

"Selph, you know I'm fine! I'm just a little sleep deprived...hehe," Sora scratched his head.

Yuna shook her head before telling the freshmen, "He's always like this, overworking himself."

Sora pouted. "It's not like you guys don't at the same time! You guys are the ones who don't sleep in your own rooms and sleep in the IT building because you work so much!"

Namine, Kairi, Xion's jaws dropped. "Oh, sorry to worry you guys," Aqua apologized. "Work here at Radiant Garden isn't actually that bad. It's only because the pre-med requirements are ridiculous and Selph as a possible math and econ major is doing crazy classes too..."

Kairi smiled and waved the surprise off. "It's not a problem! Good luck to you guys!"

Yuna grinned. "Thanks! Now, tell us about you guys! Cute freshmen like you must have some interesting high school experiences!"

The group continued their lighthearted chatter as they made their way into the newly opened restaurant and enjoyed a dinner full of humor, laughs, and good first memories.

* * *

><p><strong>This one's really long... sorry! But hopefully it wasn't too long to read. Hope you liked it!<strong>

**xoxo KH Love Always**


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